I really miss Bugs Bunny. He is one of the foundational characters of my life. I’m not the only one who loves him. There are 32 pages of YouTube posts on the furry guy. The Bugs team taught me to love classical music. Bugs fed my love of baseball. His playful interaction with his adversaries gave me an idea of what “love your enemies” can look like.

Bugs gave me a new way to see the world, viewing the world “out of the box.” As I grew older, I looked to a more respected cadre of thinkers to help me understand the power that changes lives. John Steinbeck taught me that “ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.” Maybe he was influenced by Bugs as well.

Creativity grows in an environment where the dreamers are encouraged.

Our best possible future will be fueled by ideas. At Rockford Lutheran we are hungry to be a part of a community that honors ideas and celebrates creativity. From this the “Out of the Box” movement has been born and nurtured. A group of people as diverse as elected officials, businesses leaders, teachers, students and the stewards of our civic organizations have come together for a second year to shine a light on the creative energies that will help Rockford not only grow but flourish.

On the calendar for May there is at least one event, no doubt many, that will draw our attention to a moment of creativity in our hometown. Beginning with a lecture sponsored by Rockford University entitled “Corporate Social Responsibility: Making the World Healthier, Cleaner, Safer” and ending with the Allegory Project, sponsored by Art Matters Artist Co-op, every day will present us with a fresh way to view the world.

The Register Star will provide space on this opinion page every Sunday in May for a member of the movement to talk about the creativity that has the power to enrich our lives. You can find a full calendar for the month at rockfordlutheran.org.

Page 2 of 2 - Bugs Bunny worked alone, but the power of creativity is magnified when, as Steinbeck notes, we get a couple of ideas together. As we plan a month where collected creative thinkers are in the spotlight, there is great opportunity for us to support and refine the ideas of others as they serve us in the same way.

At the University Club for tea, after the RLA fourth-grade performs a musical at Memorial Hall, and as we stroll the grounds of the Klehm Arboretum with a canine friend, we can dig deeply and let the ideas inside us explode into a world that is hungry for new approaches and new understanding of all that enriches our life.

Visit rockfordlutheran.org, look for postcards and posters, read the newsletter of your favorite organization closely and find the spark of creativity that will make this month as memorable as Bugs conducting a symphony.

Don Gillingham is executive director of Rockford Lutheran School, trustee on the Rock Valley College Board, a member of The Literacy Council Board of Directors and a steadfast advocate for Rockford and opportunities within the stateline area.